A few years ago, Egyptian travel photographer Ahmed Zaher set out to explore and document life in Sinai. Throughout his journey, he stumbled upon one of the peninsula’s biggest treasures: its sun-kissed, amiable children. As part of an ongoing project aimed at exploring the traditions of Sinai’s indigenous Bedouins, Zaher recently released a photo series solely dedicated to capturing the secret life of the community’s children. Having lived in Dahab, South Sinai for the past six years, the Cairene photographer has had the rare opportunity to closely observe the distinct culture and traditions of the peninsula’s indigenous Bedouins. Zaher soon realized that behind the perpetually smiling faces of young children in Sinai is the community’s respect for nature as the best teacher. “Their average day, outside or after school, is spent receiving a different kind of education, studying and exploring nature and the environment they are surrounded by, which is why you find them more aware than children elsewhere,” Zaher explains. “Their school is at sea … They know marine life, they know what is dangerous and what isn’t. This is something they gain by being and living and playing…
In Photos: Egyptian Photographer Captures Sinai’s Uninhibited Childhood
May 23, 2020
